Elsevier

Virology

Volume 230, Issue 2, 14 April 1997, Pages 244-251
Virology

Regular Article
Origins of Dengue Type 2 Viruses Associated with Increased Pathogenicity in the Americas

https://doi.org/10.1006/viro.1997.8504Get rights and content
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Abstract

The recent emergence and spread of dengue hemorrhagic fever in the Americas have been a major source of concern. Efforts to control this disease are dependent on understanding the pathogenicity of dengue viruses and their transmission dynamics. Pathogenicity studies have been hampered by the lack ofin vitroorin vivomodels of severe dengue disease. Alternatively, molecular epidemiologic studies which associate certain dengue virus genetic types with severe dengue outbreaks may point to strains with increased pathogenicity. The comparison of nucleotide sequences (240 bp) from the E/NS1 gene region of the dengue virus genome has been shown to reflect evolutionary relationships and geographic origins of dengue virus strains. This approach was used to demonstrate an association between the introduction of two distinct genotypes of dengue type 2 virus and the appearance of dengue hemorrhagic fever in the Americas. Phylogenetic analyses suggest that these genotypes originated in Southeast Asia and that they displaced the native, American genotype in at least four countries. Vaccination and other control efforts should therefore be directed at decreasing the transmission of these “virulent” genotypes.

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The nucleotide sequence data reported in this paper have been submitted to the GenBank nucleotide sequence database and have been assigned the Accession Nos. U91859–U91891.

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To whom reprint requests should be addressed at present address: Department of Virology and Immunology, Southwest Foundation for Biomedical Research, P.O. Box 760549, San Antonio, TX 78245.